Due June 24 💚 - Part 2

[oop]

Thought I'd make a new thread before the old one filled up completely.

Into the second trimester and beyond 😊

I hope everyone is well :)

I’ve had my pre op date come through for my c section, does anyone know roughly how many days after the c section is likely to be booked after that? I’m getting impatient and anxious waiting for a date 😬

I’m having my c section at 38 weeks due to gestational diabetes and his size, I keep reading bad things about c sections before 39 weeks so preying he is healthy! Has anyone else had experience of c sections at 38w?

@LavenderJoy hey I had my first via a planned section at 37+1. She struggled with taking her first breaths at birth but was fine and is now 4 and running rings around me.

I’m having another section at 39 weeks and my pre-op date is the day before my planned section ☺️

@cosylife thank you that is really good to know, I just keep worrying he will struggle with his breathing but fingers crossed it will all go smoothly.

good luck with yours, hopefully you dont have to long to wait either :)

@LavenderJoy mine is 2 days before my c section.

Random question but I’m not sure what’s normal. I walk about 10,000-15,000 steps a day and I’m exhausted and my feet are killing me. It’s mostly doing the school runs (have 2 to do in opposite directions), other child stuff and housework. I’ve been off work for a while so I’m not doing much else. My sleep is quite disrupted but I’m getting enough overall. Is it normal to be that tired? I am anaemic and borderline for an iron infusion but don’t know if that will help or not.

@MizzMarple I think it’s normal. Especially since we’re now on the homestretch and our feet will get swollen more easily, and you’re doing so much walking! I heard it’s also normal to become anemic in the last trimester, resulting in exhaustion. I’ve had my bloods back and they’re showing that my blood count is low, which the midwife said was normal! Also been getting out of breath and not had the energy or motivation to do things like I did just 2 weeks ago.

Had my midwife check up this week, discussed birth plans but not to the detail I was hoping. This time around I feel I’m more certain of exactly what I want and when. She said I had a birth options appt and next midwife check up booked in 2 weeks where I can discuss my birth plan in more depth. I was 90% sure to go for a ELCS but now contemplating and more inclined for a vaginal birth again despite the trauma from the first time, since recovery will be easier and quicker.. has anyone else had a birth options appt and can advise what happens?

hope everyone is doing well!

@LavenderJoy mine was booked in back on Feb haha! Got my section in just under 2 weeks so technically will be a May baby ❤️ hope you get your date soon

@beaniesunrise I had mine last week - this is my 2nd birth so I know exactly what I want, don’t want etc. so the appointment was section related but they go through all birth options with you and what to do when labour starts. They explain all pain relief options as well as all post birth pain relief too which I found helpful.

They also talk through the tests they carry out on baby too which I found interesting as last time I was in a bit of a daze and didn’t think about the checks until a couple of days after!

@LavenderJoy My first child came trough via c-section at 38 weeks 😊She had minor issues with her breathing at first, so they had to take her to check that everything was ok - which it was. At 38 weeks they are considered full term: I thought about that a lot to calm myself when I was waiting for the day.
Also, if your baby is on the bigger side, he should be strong and fine 😊

@cosylife i think mine will be a may baby too 🥰

@MsNeis thank you for sharing, yes that’s what im thinking if he is a big baby hopefully he is strong, as I know it’s more of a worry when they are so tiny.

34 weeks today and I've had my home birth assessment with the midwife this morning 😁

I'm full term now (37+ weeks) which is exciting and terrifying in equal measure! Finished work up this week though so hopefully I'll get some time to get everything ready and mentally prepare myself a bit before she arrives!
I'm hoping she'll stay in a couple more weeks, planning on a midwife led unit birth 🤞

I'm 34+2 today.
Baby shower / big sister party tomorrow organised by my mum and mother in law.
Excited, tired!
I have my growth scan Wednesday, I'm hoping I'll have a plan then.
I'm on insulin and my GD isn't being particularly well controlled at present. They did say if I go on insulin I'll be induced at 37 weeks.
Which means it would be a matter of weeks now.
I have no energy/desire/time to get the room done!
I'm hoping after tomorrow I'll feel more like this is happening! I think I'm still in shock another baby is coming! Finding out so late has been hard! Xx

Hi all, I’m 35 weeks today and just got my induction date confirmed in the post yesterday - it’s exactly in three weeks at 38 weeks so it’s all starting to feel very real now! I finished packing my hospital bag too and telling work on Monday that I’ll finish at the end of 37 weeks, I had planned to stay until 39 weeks originally because DS was born at 42 weeks. My first induction took three days but hopefully since it’s the second one should be quicker, although this time so much earlier.

@May5th hey from what I can remember a kind of "sweep" is part of when they put the first pessary in. So don't imagine for early inductions the sweep part helps that much compared to the pessary. Not sure about whether a sweep alone is offered early to start induction, I'm fairly certain I never had one.. but tbh I don't remember my births that clearly!!
I was talking about it with my partner and some friends yesterday, it seems we all just made stuff up about our births in our minds and also didn't realise a lot of other things happened 😅 (apparently when my partner asked if he should turn on my birth playlist i screamed back "i dont give a f**k!" 🤣🤣) ahh a woman's brain is very clever ! No wonder we're doing it again ! X

Had braxton hicks last night which scared the 💩 out of me - only 33 weeks!

period cramp ish type pain. Not super painful but uncomfortable and a few made me wince. But I think I did a good job at reasonably calm and kept track and they were all over the place, some really long some short some with a long gap some with no gap. told myself labour would come with some pattern so kept calm and waited it out. Eventually fell asleep and they stopped.

husband was worried and wanted to ring the midwives but I wanted to give it some time and see if they would even out or stop.

has anyone had this before? Did I do the right thing?

@DanisEndo yes I've been getting Braxton hicks a lot, especially when I overdo it with housework, the girls etc. they do make me wince sometimes but I remember this from my last two. Sounds like the same thing as you?

I had nightmares last night about her getting stuck in the birth canal at home and having to get an ambulance to hospital in agony 😩 I think it's all this stuff in the news re maternity care

@Suchardchoccy thats such a relief it sounds the same. My big reassurance was she was still wriggling around seeming happy the whole time.

how scary!!! Yeah I’ve been trying to avoid reading it all but have slipped on the odd story. It’s so hard to not let it seep in and add to nerves.

@DanisEndo I've been having tons of Braxton-Hicks this time. I mentioned it to my midwife and she basically said, if they become regular and start to ramp up in pain, get in touch with maternity. If they stay mild and erratic, nothing to worry about.

Does this mean baby is on 90th centile? Has anyone else got similar measurements?

@DanisEndo haha yep the Braxton hicks feel strange paired with the wriggling!
I am trying to stay away from the news but it's been everywhere. I'm WFH today and I've just been like have I got everything ready all day trying to get everything sorted so I feel a bit more in control

@Wheeeeee thanks for that, it’s really helpful. I’ll mention them to the midwife at my next appointment

@Suchardchoccy yep I would read that as 90th percentile! I mostly work from home and am finding it such a struggle to focus and not get distracted with things that need doing. Paired with being SHATTERED it feels like it the day is the only time I have the energy to do anything!

The news is not great timing is it - trying to stay away from it but part of me wants to know worst case scenarios in case that helps me prepare!

I also started to have period type cramps at the weekend (36 +2 ), phoned MAU and they said if it eases off with rest and paracetamol then it's nothing to be concerned about. I agree with others that it's a reminder not to do too much though - it started on Sunday when I'd had a busy week including being out all day on Sat and then standing for an hour at a party in the evening... Feeling brighter today after a quieter couple of days but still loads of tidying/sorting to do at home!

@Suchardchoccy I'm guessing that's 75th percentile? And the line above 90th?

@DanisEndo it can be so alarming if you haven't had BHs before! I always get them for the majority of my pregnancies so I'm so used to it haha. Although I did get some actual mild contractions for a couple of hours the other night which was definitely alarming! Thankfully they eased up and haven't come back, I had a similar thing with my first about a week or so before I went into proper labour. Although I am nearly 38 weeks now anyway.

I was admitted for reduced movements yesterday and feeling unwell.
I have dang Covid!
They have ended up putting me on blood thinners from now until bab comes.
Definitely being induced at 37 weeks unless my BP, diabetes, growth or Doppler change.
I've been medically signed off now, I feel very shocked and overwhelmed! Xx

@Suchardchoccy yes that's the 90th centile line, since I've been going for growth scans my baby has been tracking that line. 2 weeks ago they went just over the 90th centile so had to see the consultant but they weren't concerned. Had another scan yesterday at 37 weeks and it's now at 87, so back to midwife led care. But there are inaccuracies in bump and scan measurements is difficult to know how much to read into them. As long as the baby seems to be growing as expected.

Ah thanks for the info! Mine seems to be a 30min session. I’m thinking to write my birth plan down and place it on top of my hospital bag as don’t feel like the midwives are willing to listen, just want to get through the appointments.

something to vent:
The midwife I saw at my booking was very hasty and quick to get through things. By the book. She was old maybe that’s why? Whenever I wanted to discuss my previous pregnancy or concerns she would just dismiss me and say I’ll be able to talk about it later. For the rest of my pregnancy I saw a really nice young midwife that would actually take it slow and listen to my questions or concerns, and didn’t see the old midwife from the booking appointment again. That is until my 34 week appointment last week! Where you can imagine my shock and disappointment of seeing the old midwife again, especially since this appt was also to discuss my birth plan and I was looking forward to it for so long. I think it’s in her nature of work as she was yet again very hasty and wanted to just complete her checklist and get through the appointment. However, I left the office feeling unheard again and felt horrible as I did at my booking appointment. Every time I said “I want this” she’d cut me off and just want to explain the standard procedure of labour, textbook stuff.

Unfortunately I think I’ll need to see her again for my 36 week appointment but she probably realised I wasn’t happy to see her as she said I can request to see the young nice midwife again for my 38week and rest of the preg (if baby doesn’t come early!)

i had list of questions I was going to ask the midwife that I couldn’t since she just wanted to quickly get the appt done with. Such as can I choose my midwife for the birth, how do I get in touch with the team as the number never connects for general queries etc